Nourishing Luka's Wild Spirit with Ollie

This is Luka, our loveable, sweet Carolina Dog we adopted last year as a three-month-old puppy. He came all the way from Indiana to Florida to live with us, and from the moment we picked him up and brought him home, he’s been nothing but a joy. Our other dog is very chill and calm, almost more like a cat. She never gives us much trouble. But our Luka is just a puppy, the kind you see in the movies: running around like a maniac, stealing things, and taking off with them. He’s the kind of dog that loves being outdoors, swimming, getting dirty and just causing havoc, but in the best way. He is a wildly playful and mischievous dog, and we were smitten from day one. He’s completely irresistible.

Because I wanted the best for this crazy, spirited dog, I found myself traveling down an internet rabbit hole, searching through every dog food option out there. We were giving him the kibble that was recommended to us from his foster family, but I noticed he was always itchy, and his eyes were red and watery all the time. I figured he must have had an allergy, so I decided to switch him off the chicken recipe we were giving him to a salmon formula. That definitely made a big improvement with his eyes and the itching, helping me narrow down my options. I looked at feeding raw but it just seemed very messy. Our playful dog loves to kiss us, so I was not sure how sanitary and/or safe his kisses would have been after a raw meal. I know people sometimes feed raw to their dogs outside, but in this Florida heat, that wasn’t really an option for us.

Real Food With Real Ingredients

After searching for the perfect food, we finally came across Ollie. It’s real, healthy, cooked food, where I can select the right recipe to avoid any allergens Luka is sensitive to. I love seeing the fruits and vegetables in the food when I’m taking it out of the package, and transferring it into the easy-to-wash container that Ollie provided with our delivery. There are no mystery ingredients and the full ingredient list is actually pretty short. No mysteries.

The customization is the key here. Notwithstanding the allergies, luckily Luka is still young and has no health issues, but we’d like to keep it that way by feeding him high quality food. On top of the customized recipes, I enjoy creating fun meals for him by adding extra toppers to them, whether it’s cute frozen goat milk or yogurt treats sprinkled across the top. Sometimes I will even add quail eggs and berries to his bowl (I told you, I want the best for him!) Each meal is a masterpiece, if I do say so myself, and takes a little extra time to make, but I enjoy “cooking” for our dogs. And they really love their mealtimes ten times more now.

More Energy

Luka is still young, so he’s as energetic as all young pups usually are. But I have noticed he has been more energetic for longer periods. His zoomies are just wild, where he will run laps around our yard endlessly, entertaining himself for hours. There is nothing like watching a dog run full force across an open field at full speed, giving him the opportunity to stretch his legs and get some exercise. I take him out a lot to try and stay active with him, particularly with running, swimming, and hiking. Where we’ve really seen the difference with Ollie has been in his energy levels after we come home from a day out. He used to just fall into a dead sleep, out cold for the rest of the day. After the switch, his energy levels are more sustained throughout the day, where a short nap will be enough to get him ready to be active again.

Shiny Coat, Less Shedding

Luka’s fur just gleams in the sun, it’s a beautiful thing to see. Particularly on black fur, his young, thick coat just glistens when we’re outside during the day. We get compliments on his fur often, especially with his distinct coloring and markings. Since eliminating his known allergens with Ollie, I’ve also noticed less shedding and itching from his body, as well as his eyes. With two dogs that shed year-round, the sweeping and vacuuming is endless in our home, so less hair to vacuum up has been such a relief. But more importantly, his shinier, healthier coat comes from better nutrition.

Mealtime Excitement

Luka recognizes the Ollie packages now and gets so excited when he sees one come out of the freezer. He even knows the Ollie container; when I take it out of the cupboard, his tail starts wagging, and as I’m preparing his food he’s drooling all over me! We have been working hard at training him to “wait” when we put his food out while we get our other dog’s food ready and the drool is both hilarious and gross at the same time. I’m sure it’s very hard to resist diving right into his bowl with how good it smells but he’s a very patient and good boy for waiting. Training win at mealtimes!

Food Bond

Have you met your soul dog? I didn’t know this term until Luka came into our lives. A soul dog is also known as a heart dog or spirit dog. It’s a dog you connect with so deeply that they touch your life in a way that is truly unique and special. Not saying that I don’t love our other dog equally, because she is amazing in every way. But I’ve never connected so deeply with another being as I have with Luka. He knows my every mood and just being with him gives me so much comfort.

Watching him enjoy his meals and knowing I’m feeding him high quality food fuels our bond even further. And it’s a great feeling knowing that he’s getting the best nutrition so we can keep going on all our adventures for many years to come.